


Sailor/Mermaid AU no one asked for but everyone wanted

by igrewupwiththis



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, M/M, No proofread we die like men, Pirate AU, Sailor AU, captain shiro, i wanted to post this a decade ago i forgot, keef - Freeform, klance, mermaid au, merman! keith, merman!keith, sailor!Lance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-20 12:29:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12432870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/igrewupwiththis/pseuds/igrewupwiththis
Summary: Lance and his crew travel across the seven seas when Lance meets a purple sea boy in the midst of a storm.





	Sailor/Mermaid AU no one asked for but everyone wanted

Once upon a time, there was a pirate ship, the hull decorated with carved ornaments and the crew as small as the ship. Its name was Allura, named after a beautiful princess, the daughter of the king of Altea, a foreign land the ship had yet to meet. The man in charge, if you ask, was known as Captain Shirogane. He was a tall and strong man, keen on exploring the seven seas with his men. In the past he had been captured by a rivaled team of pirates, they had taken his arm and decorated his face with a scar across the nose, nothing he likes to speak about, but when if he looked deep enough into the rum barrel he might tell a thing or two.

Pidge, a small fellow, ran away from home with just 12 years of age after his brother and father had been captured to look for them. He found Captain Shirogane along the way, who knew his family, and together they were determined to find them again. His place in the ship was the top of the mast, where he could look out for what he was searching for.

Hunk was the dark, round and most of the time drunk engineer who was responsible for everything going on below deck. He used to be a carpenter, and it was him who built Allura, commissioned by the captain.

Eventually their fates intertwined and Hunk then called his creation his home.

He cared deeply for his ship, and was constantly fixing her little flaws. Other than that he was also an excellent cook, so not only the ship's health relied on him.

The last member of their tiny crew was a tall young man, who had spent his entire life on the shore. His skin was tanned and his hair bleached by salt and sunshine, eyes as blue as the ocean he decided to conquer. Curiosity and hope existed in his eyes, chest full of pride and hands powered by eagerness.

His father had worked with Hunk, a blacksmith who specialized on swords and armour. From him Lance had learned how to fight, which got him a position in the crew as soon as he had heard what Hunk was up to.

It was a stormy night where our story begins, the sea dark and tumultuous, sending Allura up and down the waves. The four sailors had enough to work on already, when Hunk announced the ship had a hole right in its hull.

"I need to fix it, but also someone who secures it from outside!" He shouted against the storm. "Someone needs to keep the water from entering!"

This was of course easier said than done. They decided that the captain would let Lance down head over beyond the reeling, covering the leak with a woodboard, giving Hunk a chance to fix it from the inside.

'Please dear God let me come home safely to my family, I'll never touch rum again,' Lance prayed, held by Captain Shirogane at the ankles. Around his waist they had secured a rope that went around the mast so that if he fell, they could get him back again before losing him to the sea.

The hole was just below the water's surface, so Hunk had to work quickly to not let Lance drown.

"I'm letting you down!" The captain announced. "Three, two, one!"

Then Lance was lowered into the sea. Squeezing his eyes shut he pressed the board to the outside of the ship which proved to be extremely difficult.

She sea was still furious but their ship would sink if they didn't do anything. So he tried his best.

After a while of trying he felt how the board seemingly magically pressed against the ship on its own. Even though he was still head down in the ocean he opened his eyes out of surprise, staring right into big purple eyes. Lance refrained himself from gasping, not wanting to swallow gallons of salt water. The creature staring back at him looked like a boy, a halo of white floating hair swaying around his face. Lance saw the sea boy pushing his hands against the board too, as if he wanted to help. That was the last thing Lance saw before being yanked up by his captain again. The ascend into air was like entering another world, like seeing the sea boy had taken away all his surroundings.

"Again!" The captain shouted. "Three, two, one!"

Lance took a deep breath and dived in again. Again he locked eyes with the weird boy, who took the board from his hands and pushed it to the hull. And just like that the pieces of wood became one. Now Lance had time to fully examine the sea boy, realizing he had purple skin and- a fish tail! It was long and elegant, shimmering in the dancing waves' rhythm. The white haired boy distanced himself a little from the scenery, his facial expression almost scared.

"Wait!" Lance wanted to call, his voice nothing but bubbles and air, just before being pulled up again. One last time the captain lowered him, but the sea boy was gone.

On deck again Lance listened to Hunk rambling about the magic he had witnessed. He asked Lance what he had seen.

"I have seen a boy," he said truthfully, still processing what he had witnessed. "He was purple, one moment there and the next gone."

"I think Lance hit his head too hard," Pidge said, holding onto the reeling. The storm had slowed down a little, but the sea was still a loud conversation of push and pull. Rain was spilling down on them, but the wind was only a talk and not a shout anymore, like it had been. They were freezing.

"Clean up the deck and dry up boys," the cap said, "and stay downstairs. I don't need anyone here in the water again." The crew jumped to follow their leader's orders, rushing up and down to throw out fish and tidy messed up ropes.

"No, I know what I saw," Lance murmured but it didn't matter anymore. No one listened.

Later that evening the storm had completely vanished, leaving Pidge to sew the ripped sail. Lance wanted to help him, but his sewing skills were miserable so his friend shooed him away.

The night was clear and starry, the horizon infinite and the water black, reflecting the sky. Lance sat down at the front of the ship, looking out into the sea, when he saw movement in the water. To his surprise the sea boy emerged looking up the ship, but as soon as he saw Lance he vanished again.

"No!" Lance wanted to shout, but he couldn't let Pidge know what he was up to.

He looked behind him, still seeing his friend sewing, and descended down the ladder on the side of the ship. He sat down and waited, but nothing happened. Testing he put a hand into the icy water and waited again. After a while he felt a change in the current, a tiny movement below the surface. Then he felt a hand loosely interlacing with his. It took all of his self control to not pull away out of surprise, but it was gone as soon as it had come.

He looked after the movement, spotting only a weak shimmer of purple before the sea went entirely monotone again. Monotone was the wrong word, the sea is never monotone. Rather… unchanged.

Then he looked at his unchanged hand, and went up the unchanged ladder to see the unchanged scenery. Pidge was still sewing.

The next day he tried to tell his friends about his encounter in the water but they weren't having any of it.

"Let it go," the captain had said. "You were confused. Besides, if it really happened you better forget it quick enough. We don't want to mess with the merfolk. Again."

"But he isn't a siren!" Lance protested. "I never heard his voice!"

"Enough!" The captain ordered. "If you want to stay on this ship and not be sent to a doctor or rather a priest, then concentrate. Go back to your work."

Lance didn't like this. He knew he'd seen the boy and his mind never played tricks on him. Though his mind was already working on a way to work with his situation. He realised he couldn't convince his captain, and he wanted to stay on this ship and get this argument over with. "Aye."

From that day on Lance waited for his comrades to go to bed to climb down the ladder outside of the ship to look out for the sea boy. It took days for him to feel the familiar ripple of the waves on the surface before feeling cold fingertips tickling his. He jumped, pulling back his hand, he hadn't expected the boy to show up again.

As if to ask where the hand was, the sea boy's head emerged from the ocean, though he didn't rise much. His nose was still in the water. He looked at Lance with big eyes, waiting for him to do something.

Lance didn't know what to do, but then extend his hand to the boy. He flinched back, the sea swallowing him again, but Lance didn't want to lose him again. "No!" he whispered, not wanting his friends to hear him.

He pulled his hand back, and soon enough the boy came back.

"I'm sorry," Lance said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

The boy looked back at him, one eyebrow raised and head tilted.

Lance chuckled at that. "I guess you're not like the sirens who can speak our tongue."

The boy shook his head lowered himself into the sea until his lips were covered, when he started to speak. "Our voices are not made to be heard above water."

His voice was dimmed and dull due to the water and Lance's limited ability to hear mainly sound waves that travelled through air. The water distorted the boy's voice, but Lance  was suspecting that his voice sounded the same to the boy.

"What are you doing on the sea?"

Lance had been so fascinated by the boy's voice that he didn't realise he had been asked a question.

"I'm here with my crew to conquer the seas and get to the Princess Allura of Altea," he said proudly.

Before he realised he couldn't talk above water the sea boy had opened his mouth to speak, but then said under the surface, "You humans are all the same, trying to conquer everything in your reach."

He made an attempt to leave, but Lance wouldn't let him. "Wait!"

The sea boy hesitated and Lance used his chance.

"Don't leave, let me get to know you."

And although the sea boy wasn't impressed, he stayed, the land boy's ocean blue eyes convincing him to stay.

 

Lance wasn't going to lie, he was scared. The captain was almost allergic to the merpeople, and Lance didn't want to test his patience talking about it. Nevertheless he still sat down at the bottom of the ladder every evening, telling the strange sea boy about the land. He did most of the talking, his new friend listening to him closely and enjoying his company.

Lance talked about everything. His life, his town, his family. He waited with the latter, not wanting to confront the boy with such a topic. But when he knew they could trust each other, he had started talking. One night he was quiet particularly long after talking about home.

The sea boy was getting worried, he swam to the ladder and got a hold of it. He never touched it before. But he was sure they could trust each other, and he took Lance's hand.

"Do you…" Lance began, and the sea boy lowered himself into the water, still holding onto the hand until water covered his ears, "Do you think my life would be better as one of you?"

He thought. Yes, definitely. The merpeople were peaceful. Quiet. Loving. They didn't start wars or steal. He nodded.

"Very strange," Lance said looking into the distance, and his friend nodded again.

Lance noticed how his friend's hair lied wet and close to his head, but where it touched the shoulder and the water it flowed around, dancing on his purple skin, covering his gills partly. What a strange sight.

On deck life got worse. They had been travelling for weeks now, they were all tired and the captain was getting more nervous and jumpier, trying to find Altea. The crew was nervous too, a little more scared of their captain than usual, doing their best to navigate them safely through the ocean, and keen on finding land too.

Dark circles surrounded their eyes, hair unkempt and blisters forming on their hands from all the work with the tows.

The only thing that kept Lance sane was talking in the evening.

"I want off this ship," he confessed one evening, his hands in the water to cool them. It had been a very hot day, he was sitting on the lowest bar of the ladder, which was already in the water. "Captain Shirogane drives me insane, I'm getting scared of him."

Sea boy shook his head, not understanding the humans. The current was very strong in this part of the ocean, and he kept floating away, and catching up again, when Lance leaned forward and offered his hands, which the sea boy took.

"You can't keep floating away, I'll lose you," he laughed into the boy's face, which quickly turned into a smile too.

When their eyes met again Lance felt warmth growing to hotness in his gut, not able to avert his eyes from the boy. Lance felt the grip growing tighter and he squeezed back, pulling the sea boy towards him and pressing a quick kiss to his lips, as if to catch him but setting him free again. Like a fish you just caught for fun.

When they looked at each other again, wide eyed and surprised, Lance broke the moment and quickly looked down on his hands, when he realised they were clean and healed.

"You healed my hands," he whispered and looked back at the sea creature.

He just shook his head and let his hand glide through the water, taking some of it over the surface and letting it drip back down again, steering Lance's attention to it.

_The water did._

 

The day after Captain Shirogane announced with booming voice: "We're passing a merpeople village. Get canons ready for fire!"

"But why should we fire on them?" Lance interjected, already regretting talking back to his captain.

"Because they ought to be intimidated! We are here to conquer, not to negotiate!"

"No!" Lance said. "I refuse to follow your orders."

Hunk and Pidge heard this and gasped, worried for their friend.

"Repeat that." Captain Shirogane grumbled.

"I refuse to follow your orders," Lance said, sure and firm. He thought of his friend, and something he had said, long time ago.

_You humans are all the same, trying to conquer everything in your reach._

"The merpeople are friendly, good and peaceful. You will gain nothing from killing them."

"Stop this crazy talk!" The captain hollered. "I'm in charge of this ship and I will not accept refusal of my orders. This is not because of that sea boy you saw?"

Lance was now fully sure he was going to get into big trouble, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to attack his only friend's people.

"What if it is!"

The Captain stepped closer to Lance, towering over him. "If you are on the side of a disgusting creature of the sea than on your own captains, then you are no longer needed on this ship."

"At least he is kind and accepting, unlike you," Lance spat back, realising he was going to die as soon as he saw the captain's face change into neutral.

"Alright then," he said. "Pidge, Hunk, get the chains."

"What?" Pidge said, but Hunk was already on his way downstairs, scared that he'll be next if he refused to.

"I said get the chains, Pidge!" The captain shouted.

The little boy ran after Hunk, coming up again with heavy chains.

"This is what siding with the wrong people gets you," Captain Shirogane said and knocked Lance out cold.

The boy woke up lying on the deck, metal chains tied around him and Pidge sitting next to him.

"Captain, he's awake!" He called, giving Lance an apologetic look.

"Well, well, let's see," The captain said, and stepped to Lance. "I suppose you didn't change your mind?"

"Please, Lance," Pidge said. His lip was quivering, trying to convince Lance.

"I'd rather die than travel with a tyrant," Lance said firmly. He knew that no matter what he said, Captain Shirogane wouldn't change his mind. If he went down, he'd go down with dignity.

"So be it."

Without further ado Lance closed his eyes and let himself be thrown into the cold, unforgiving sea.

As soon as he hit the water he instinctively tried to swim back up, but the heavy chains pulled him down, further into the abyss. He struggled to get free but nothing helped, and without thinking about it he made an attempt to breathe, but swallowed gallons of water.

His face grimaced, he sank and sank, completely helpless and alone, except- wait. There was a movement in the distance, and through the water he saw a figure approach him, he recognized the white halo of hair. The boy started screaming, sounding dull to Lance, not knowing what to do. He grabbed Lance, hoping to prevent him from drowning, but all he could to was cradle him. The heavy chains prevented help being possible. Lance was getting lightheaded when he suddenly felt his body change.

He felt pain in his neck's skin, deep gashes forming and one big gulp of salty water became one deep inhale. His tied hands got soft and he felt the mass of skin increasing between his fingers, sharp pain connecting them.

Farther down he noticed his tied legs becoming slimmer, making the chains slip down his thinner body, stretching painfully until they morphed together, his feet forming into thin fins.

And lastly, he felt his eyes prickling, his vision cleared and he heard his fellow sea boy's dull crying turn into clear, more quiet wailing. He still held him tightly, scared of letting him go.

The sea boys looked at each other, not believing what had happened. Lance rose his hand and caressed the sobbing boy's cheek.

"There is no need to cry. Now we can be really together."

The white haired boy laughed and leaned into Lance's hand. When he used his voice Lance realized he had the most melodic and beautiful voice in the world.

"Forever."

 

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thanks for reading my story, make sure to let me know what you think about it and leave a kudo if you liked it!  
> i wanted to keep this very fairy tale ish so it could be even read to kids, so i made it short and kinda unrealistically utopic romantic. (fairy tale ish as in Brothers Grimm, not disney (my deep german genes are coming out oops))
> 
> thanks again and if you like, you can check out my other Klance work, more is incoming! Have a wonderful day~  
> -Dizzy


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